lifelike
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- lifelikeness noun
- unlifelike adjective
Etymology
Origin of lifelike
Explanation
Lifelike things look real, but they're not. A lifelike wax figure might look just like Queen Elizabeth, but it's actually a realistic statue. An artist whose style is described as "realism" probably paints very lifelike scenes, producing paintings that look a lot like photographs. A child's doll might be disturbingly lifelike, made to look like a real live baby. As with many words, this one started life in the seventeenth century with a completely different meaning, "likely to live." The current definition came along about a hundred years later.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We always knew our plushie toy collection was lifelike, but it seems we finally got the ultimate seal of approval," store manager Liam Bloomfield said.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
The rapid evolution of AI means that these videos are becoming more lifelike all the time.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
This sensitivity contributes to what scientists call the "Uncanny Valley," a phenomenon where robots appear unsettling rather than lifelike.
From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026
The “M3GAN” dolls were so lifelike, and the real sell wasn’t their eyes that draw you in, but the skin.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025
They could weave, into the lovely stuffs they made, forms so lifelike anyone could see what tale they illustrated.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
